A few weekends ago my family was invited to check out summer activities at Horseshoe Resort’s Adventure Park in Barrie, Ontario.
We stayed overnight in a newly renovated two bedroom condo suite in the building across from the front reception desk and main inn.
Upon arrival, we weren’t really too sure what to expect as the building is pretty plain looking – grey concrete with next no design or décor elements besides a few flower pots around the entrance to the building.
Slope Side Condo Suites at Horseshoe Resort
As we opened the door to our suite, we were pleasantly surprised.
Decorated in shades of grey, beige and brown colour palette creates a relaxing yet up-scale vibe. Condo suites are perfect for large families (up to 6 people) and include:
- two separate bedrooms,
- two bathrooms,
- two LCD televisions
- washer and dryer,
- pull out sofa bed in the living area,
- fireplace,
- dining table with chairs,
- breakfast bar and full kitchen – stove, oven, microwave, pots, pans, cutlery, dishes, cups, fridge and coffee maker
- fully enclosed patio and
- storage room for sports equipment.
There’s a deep soaker tub in one bathroom and a stand-up shower in the other giving guests plenty of space to get ready in the morning and before bed every night.
We all loved spending time on the patio at the end of the day. No mosquitoes to bother us and a great view of the sunset and outdoor pool.
Dining Options at Horseshoe Resort
Guests have several options for dining at Horseshoe Resort – there are 7 different places – ranging from fine dining, casual fare and food kiosks including BeaverTails!
Because of our kitchen, we didn’t get a chance to test any of them out and prepared our meals with food purchased from a nearby grocery store.
Turn left at the main entrance of Horseshoe resort, drive for approximately 5 minutes and you’ll see Foodland on your right hand side. Prices are pretty consistent to grocery stores in Toronto.
Activities & Amenities at Horseshoe Resort
There’s plenty to do here and some notable places to visit in the surrounding area in the summer even though many think of winter sports when the name Horseshoe Resort is mentioned.
Guests can swim in one of two pools, spend some time at Shizen Spa, take in some activities at the Adventure Park or wander around town. There’s a public beach, marina and amazing pizza place about 25 minutes driving from Horseshoe.
PIE in Barrie was featured in an episode of Food Network Canada’s You Gotta Eat Here.
The resort gets quiet at night as the Adventure Park closes at 6PM and families with little ones don’t have to worry about noise or uninterrupted sleep. The only small drawback of staying in a suite in this building is the spotty WiFi connection.
We were able to connect only 50% of the time – not that this bothered us much as we were out most of the day. When we were in the main building however WiFi connection was quite strong and we could connect easily to the internet. Horseshoe Resort is a great weekend getaway destination for families.
It’s close enough to Toronto (only 1 hour driving) but far enough that you get to escape the busyness of the city.
Know Before You Go
Horseshoe Resort
1101 Horseshoe Valley Road
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
L4M 4Y8
1-844-993-9856
The Adventure Park closes at 6PM everyday in the summer. Heads up to parents with kids in strollers – there’s only one elevator in the condo building where we were (the main inn building has more).
Depending on when you’re visiting or where your room is located it could be a big of a wait or a trek to your room.
Golf, Spa and Resort packages are available online or can be reserved by phone.
Sounds like a great place to take the family. We’re always on the lookout for family friendly vacation spots. I will have to check it out. We’re a family of 6- 2 adults, and 4 kids. Do you think the condo you stayed in would be a good size or do they offer larger condos?
Hi Kirsten,
This condo will definitely fit your family of 6. There’s 2 separate rooms plus a pull out sofa bed in this condo and it’s very spacious given the dining area plus kitchen.
I think this is as big as the condos get at Horseshoe. I’d call to double check though if you’re looking for something bigger.
Hope this helps!
Cheryl
What a great place for a family getaway
What kind of bed did the second bedroom come with? A queen, double, twins? Thanks! We’re thinking of going there this winter to go skiing and your post here is way more helpful, and gives more pictures than the resorts! Thanks again!
Hi Lee-Anne,
The 2nd bedroom has a double in it. And is across the hall from a full bathroom (bathtub, not a standup shower so great for little ones).
Glad this post was helpful. If you have any other questions, let me know – I’m happy to help 🙂
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl, I’ve read some concerning reviews about the rooms at Horseshoe – most pertaining to non renovated rooms. How can I ensure that we’ll receive a newly renovated condo suite?
Your rooms looked great! Did you and your family book the Slope Side Condo or the Premiere Slope Side Condo? Any info would definitely help! We’re planning to stay here for a week this holiday.
Thanks for the helpful post!
Hi Tran,
From what I understand, all the slope side condos now should be completely renovated (we visited when they were near the middle of the renovation) so if you book it’s guaranteed that you’ll be in one. The room we stayed in was the slope side condo and not premiere.
I’m not too sure if the rooms in the main building are completely renovated to match the slope side ones but I would recommend calling and ask about it.
Hope this helps!
Cheryl